3 iconic WWII bombers coming to Deer Valley

Arizona Daily Star ^

[SandRat]

See WWII history

[mgstarr]

A B-25 Mitchell, B-17 Flying Fortress and the only flyable B-29 Superfortress

Hard to imagine there's only one flyable B-29 left.

[rockinqsranch]

bflr

[theDentist]

What’s their target?

[darkwing104]

Sweet...I've seen the B-17 and B-25 but haven't seen a flyable B-29 yet.

[Jewbacca]

LA. The B-29 picked up a nuke in NM on its way.

[wastedyears]

Too bad they can’t get the Enola Gay.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Very cool!....

Also check this sight out.....

http://www.planesoffame.org/

[Redleg Duke]

She’s completely restored and in the Smithsonian out by Dulles.

[Peter from Rutland]

The Collings Foundation here in MA also has a running B-17 and Mitchell. You can get rides in them too. I’m due soon.

[FlyingEagle]

They visited for the Wings Over Houston Airshow a few weeks ago - awesome.

[wolficatZ]

Considering the private cost it takes to keep it flying and fueled up, very understandable.

[Nailbiter]

They also have P-51 which I bought ride on 2 yrs ago, what a blast.

[hc87]

The Collings Foundation here in MA also has a running B-17 and Mitchell. You can get rides in them too. I’m due soon.

B-24 and P-51C too. I saw the B-17, B-24 and P-51 at Beverley Airport this summer. I got a Chris Matthews' tingle when the P-51 did a high speed/low altitude pass.

[WayneS]

The “Commemorative Air Force”?

Did the “Confederate Air Force” go all “pc” on us, or is this a different group.

[SonOfDarkSkies]

One of the guys who restored the B-17G Flying Fortress which was renamed the Liberty Belle is from my hometown and I think the aircraft is stored at the local airport when not flying around the country for rallies.

[Pecos]

I’m thinking that simply finding spare parts would be the problem. Wright R-3350-23 18 cylinder supercharged radial engines gotta be tough to keep up with, not to mention a quartet of 16 ft diameter four-bladed props. Probably not too many people still qualified to do an annual inspction on the B-29.

Enola Gay is at the Dulles location of the Smithsonian. I give a very solemn silent “thank you” every time I see her. My children are aware that the reason they got to know their grandfather was likely because we dropped the bomb on Japan. No moral confusion here.

[CFIIIMEIATP737]

The Commemorative Air Force was formerly known as the Confederate Air Force.

[tanknetter]

I’m thinking that simply finding spare parts would be the problem. Wright R-3350-23 18 cylinder supercharged radial engines gotta be tough to keep up with, not to mention a quartet of 16 ft diameter four-bladed props. Probably not too many people still qualified to do an annual inspction on the B-29.

FiFi, the CAF's B-29, spent over five years grounded due to engine problems. It wasn't so much availability of parts (there are a LOT of -3350s out there still) as it was the original B-29 -3350 subtype had all sorts of mechanical issues.

The "fix" was to develop a brand new, hybrid variant of the R-3350 using the best parts from the different -3350 subtypes, that not only isn't nearly as maintenance-intensive but as a side benefit performs MUCH better (more available power, better fuel efficiency, etc) than the old engines did.

[tanknetter]

Hard to imagine there's only one flyable B-29 left.

There is only one flying B-29, but there are at least two others that are still "flyable". One is "Doc", the restoration to flight of which has been really drawn out. The other is Kermit Weeks' B-29, which could be restored to flight if Kermit really wants to.